Hey! No, this post is not about the Ice Cream Place; rather, it’s about Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock.
Synopsis:
When you don’t talk, there’s a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said.
Harsh words indeed, from Brian Nelson of all people. But, D. J. can’t help admitting, maybe he’s right.
When you don’t talk, there’s a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said.
Stuff like why her best friend, Amber, isn’t so friendly anymore. Or why her little brother, Curtis, never opens his mouth. Why her mom has two jobs and a big secret. Why her college-football-star brothers won’t even call home. Why her dad would go ballistic if she tried out for the high school football team herself. And why Brian is so, so out of her league.
When you don’t talk, there’s a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said.
Welcome to the summer that fifteen-year-old D. J. Schwenk of Red Bend, Wisconsin, learns to talk, and ends up having an awful lot of stuff to say.
Let me just say that first of all, I adored this book! I read it over the weekend and fell in love with everything. The plot, D. J. , Curtis, the cows, even-I hate to admit this- the football.
I’m generally not a big fan of football. I don’t understand it, nor do I want to, but the way that Murdock wove the football into the story was pleasing, and I was able to enjoy it from a distance. 😉
This book was so very human. When D. J. realizes that she is a cow, it was such a pure moment of self discovery in a human lifetime. It spoke up the need for everyone to do what they want to do, not always what they are told. I’m all for rebellion, you know! 😉
D. J. , as a character, was lovely. She was not arrogant or stupid to the point you want to pull your hair out. But you could see where she made her own human mistakes and assumptions. Somehow, though, she was able to stand up to everyone, steal all their hearts, and end the book as a happy person. She dealt with what she needed to deal with. She pulled through an amazing story.
One of my favorite parts of the entire book, was all the details about the cows, farm work, and training Brian. Although some of it was repetitive, it wasn’t in a bad way. Each time was a little different, and had something new to do with the plot.
The entire thing with Brian, was incredibly human too. As well as D. J. mistake for not telling him, and his reaction. In the end however, well, you’ll just have to see. 😉
Regardless, this was a pleasing read! I’m looking forward to the sequels and anything else from Murdock in the future.
4 stars.
~Remedyleaf
